Monday Mishmash

Grab a cuppa’ and a snack, and hunker down.  We’re going to play catch-up.  See, it’s a rainy day at work, and that means I’m just sitting here in case the phone should ring.  Slow isn’t the word for it.  Pop is napping, and so is Shadow.

Firstly, I have to boast.  My dear friend Aviva has finished her Jupiter Shines piece, for which my hands were the model. 

Please follow any of the links to her post, because her art is PACKED FULL of detail, and you don’t want to miss a thing!  It’s a part of a fabulous series she’s doing, so I encourage you to poke around her site.

Next, it’s time to share the Secret Project.  It’s really called Mary’s Omega. 

(Modeled by MJ.)

Details:

Pattern:  Omega Wrap by Chris Bylsma Designs  This is my second Omega, and I think the pattern loves contrast.  I really enjoyed matching up the yarns for this one.  I did leave off the special bind-off and the little flappymadoo at the seam, because I find it uncomfortable when driving.  (It presses into my back.)  I just mattress stitched the two ends together, and MJ agreed that it was a better finish.

Needles:  My trusty #10.5 Harmony Options. 

Yarns:  The purple and the berry are both Cotton Fleece.  The boucle is Lion Brand Homespun, and the novelty yarn, which coordinated perfectly with both Cotton Fleece colors is Squiggle, by Crystal Palace.  I very randomly changed yarns as I knitted along.  The yarn did all the work; I can’t say enough about this pattern! 

I hope it fits Mary and she loves it.  I selected the yarns with her Vegas climate in mind, and I hope it arrived early enough for her to wear it a few times before summer grips them hard.

I also have a book review for you.  I mentioned Laura Moriarty’s The Rest of Her Life earlier, but I finished it Friday afternoon.  It’s a great book that reads quickly, for me anyway.  I soon got emersed in the lives of Leigh and Kara, and I needed to know how it all turned out. 

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!  Don’t read the next paragraph if you want to be surprised by the book.

This isn’t The Glass Castle.   Ms. Moriarty’s work is fiction, and it has a rather peaceful ending.  (Not happy, but I close the back cover with a feeling that Kara and Leigh were both going to be okay.)  Kara - the daughter who accidentally hits and kills a girl in a crosswalk while driving through town - is very much aware of what she’s done, and takes a more responsible path than her father would have liked her to take.  She and Leigh - her mother - begin the novel with that rather stereotypical (and yet real!), strained mother-teen daughter relationship, and that impacts much of the book.  In the end though, there’s a real climax, where Leigh’s maternal instincts REALLY kick in, and the reader knows instantly that the very public display will make all the difference to Kara.  It does. 

Leigh is not the soccer mom whom every kid wishes was her mom.  She’s not even a particularly empathetic friend, but through the course of the book, we learn why she is the way she is.  I’m sure some of my wonderful mom friends would be aghast from the first chapter at Leigh’s rather clinical approach to the crisis her family finds itself facing after the fatal accident.  However, I think I would have related to Leigh without Ms. Moriarty’s in-person plea that we try to understand where Leigh was coming from before we judged her too harshly. 

Kara is a remarkable young woman, the kind of daughter ANYONE would be proud to claim.  Even in her response to the accident, she remains a model teen.  I’d like to think there are young adults like Kara out there.  She’s truly a good kid, and she handles a horrible situation with tremendous sensitivity. 

I liked this book so well that in my rainy day tedium, I’m going to go order Ms. Moriarty’s first book, The Center of Everything.   She’s the first of our Literary Feast authors about whom I can say I want to read more.  I liked two of the other three books well enough, but not enough to seek out more from the author.  I’m eagerly awaiting the announcement of next year’s author-speaker.

If you read it, or have read it, let me know your impression of the book.  I’ve found that while I cannot knit while I sit on the front porch playing with Sissy, I can read, so look for more book reviews in the future.  This book gets a “couldn’t put it down to knit” rating, which is eclipsed only by a “couldn’t sleep until I finished it”. 

 

 

 

What I Read On My Vacation

 (Amazon’s photo wouldn’t upload, so these folks get linked to their photo!)

Since we’ve established that my inner teenage preppy is driving the bus, I’m going to make her give a book report.  (Maybe that will send her back into the depths of my subconscious, where she belongs?)  While I managed a fair amount of knitting on my long weekend, no spinning happened.  I’d packed FIRST and her partner roving, but they stayed in their bag and never so much as breathed beach air.  That doesn’t mean spinning wasn’t on my mind.  It was, as it has been for about a month now.

Thursday afternoon, Amazon left a couple of books on my doorstep, just in time to travel.  My new favorite, recommended by Mary, is a can’t put it down kind of read.  Yeah, I prefer nonfiction anyway, but this book would be a good read for anyone interested in fibers, whether she aspires to hand spin or not. 

The author makes her bias for a top/high whorl spindle clear from the start, but also explains why she finds it to be THE method of choice for spinning.  There are sketches galore, and more detailed advice than I’ve seen anywhere else.  Of course, the history buff in me (younger than the preppy) delighted in the background information laced throughout the book.  

Again, even if you’re just fiber-curious, this is a great book.  She talks about preparing fibers, and about the qualities of different sorts of fibers as they relate to knitting, wear and of course, spinning.  

I’m hoping that Thursday night will grant me some time to spin again.  I have meetings tonight and tomorrow night, so even one repeat on the butterfly lace project per night will be an accomplishment.

Spin to Knit  was the other book in the box.  A quick flip through left me going “eh.”  It has good reviews in general, but I’d have to agree with the worst one that it didn’t enhance my spinning knowledge (or appetite), and the patterns were hardly inspiring. 

Book Tag

I feel rather like a proud parent.  I can still hear the words very clearly…  Rosanne would never knit, and never blog.  Now, she does both, rather well I might add.  So, it tickles me to no end that she’s gone from checking my blog once in a while just because she’s that kind of friend, to reconnecting with her inner crocheter, to taking up knitting, then blogging, and now, she’s tagged me!!

For the book tag, here are the rules:

     Pick a book at least 123 pages long.

     Open that book to page 123.

     Find the fifth sentence and post the next three.

     Then tag five other people to do the same.

Leigh stared hard at the screen as the pictures changed, her teeth gritted, her fists curled tight, taking on as much as she could.

“I don’t want this.”

The words emerged, clear and distinct, from the front pew.

One week ago, almost to the minute, I met Ms. Moriarty.  I’ve just started the book, and Rosanne and anyone else to whom I gave last year’s book (we have a book/author fundraiser every spring) knows why I was slow to get around to reading this one.  To say I didn’t care for The Glass Castle would be an understatement, and this one seemed to have a similar theme.  However, TGC was a memoir, and TROHL is fiction, pure fiction, and knowing Ms. Moriarty’s intent, I expect to appreciate this book much more.

Both books approach lives wrought with pain and struggle, but at least with Ms. Moriarty’s book, I believe that in the end, I’ll be able to empathize with Leigh.  Stay tuned.  I’ll let you know.   

I normally don’t tag, but I do believe I’ll call out names this time.

Devon, Ruth, Alana, Amanda and Natalie are all reading friends, and I am curious to hear what they’re reading.  By all means though, if I didn’t tag you and you wish I had, jump right in and leave a comment so I can see what you’re reading too!

Clap Off

It is done!  With five days to spare, I finished Clappy before the KAL deadline.   That also means, I do believe, that I won the race Anita and I had going too. 

The devil’s in the details, so here you go.

Pattern:  Clapotis   It was my first dropped stitch pattern, and I’m just sorry I waited so long to suck it up and drop ‘em!  That was fun.  The pattern itself was fine; I get bored quickly, and with all the repeats…  I got bored.  It was a good travel pattern though, because I didn’t have to read the pattern again until I got to another section.  I did do fewer increase (and thus, decrease) repeats, because I wanted a summer wrap, and to assure that I had enough yarn. 

Yarn:  Caron Simply Soft Shadows, in Merino (colorway, not fiber content).  It was fine to knit with, but the subtle stripes were too subtle for my liking in the end.  As I predicted, MJ loved it and claimed as her own, which also cuts down on my Mother’s Day knitting…  She’s delighted that it’s machine wash and dry too.  I used 4 skeins, but I had more than half of the last skein left over.

Needles:  Bryspun #8s. 

I don’t know that I’ll do another.  I think I like my lace better, but then again, this was very close to mindless knitting.  The Knight could talk to me while I worked on this, Sissy launched herself into the midst of it several times, but I would have preferred socks.

While I have your attention, swing over and check out THIS yarn dyeing tutorial.  The Knight even stopped writing up a work order yesterday to look.  I think if anyone in our house takes up dyeing, it would be the Knight. 

Then, swing over and visit Nichole.    March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.   It’s a disease that has impacted my family too, so more awareness is important for me.

Also, don’t forget Ann’s Sublynnminal Healing.   Her cousin hasn’t had good news of late, so I’ve cast on for my hat.  I hope to finish it in the next few days and send it on its way.

Fredfoot is also calling to me, and I’m sure I’ll accidentally cast on with the Maizy for MJ’s pedicure socks sooner rather than later…

In spinning news, I got a great book in the mail yesterday.  I’d already mentioned Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn but now that I’ve read most of it, I can assure you that if you’re interested in spinning, you *NEED* that book.   It covers everything Barbara taught last week, complete with lots of photos.  I wouldn’t say learning to spin from a book is ideal, but I bet it’s possible with this book and its photos. 

Not that I’m going to take up spinning as a regular hobby…

Litera-Tea

March 23 - March 29
Litera-Tea

Share tea from the perspective of literature. Post a tea quote, a verse or poem, or story. Tell about a favorite tea book. This would be a good time to share how you use tea to encourage others. Do you minister to others by sending them tea themed cards to friends and shut-ins? Or another way you use ‘tea’ to share joy with others? I know some of you do — so tell your story!

While I’ve always been a tea drinker, it was my friend Rosanne’s  influence that turned tea into a passion of sorts.   I’m sure more details will filter into other posts, but she did introduce me to my favorite tea books, which are from the Elmwood Inn.  I love the recipes, the seasonal themes… everything.   While I have yet to host a tea party, it is something I want to do one day, but the difficulty in rounding up my favorite tea drinkers from across the country keeps it in the dream stages for now. 

You see, I actually read recipe books like most people read a novel.  I enjoy cooking and baking, and I like to sit down with a good cup of tea and pour over recipes.  I especially like recipe books with little quips and tips, but I digress.   The recipes and photos within each of the Elmwood Inn books I own inspire me, and remind me of the teas I have attended.  It seems logical to me that many fiber enthusiasts are also tea drinkers, because both tea and fiber transcend time and space to bind people together.

Tea has always been a comfort to me, so it’s natural to use it to nurture others when (again) distance and/or time are constraints.  I’ve sent and received tea to and from online friends outside of swaps, just because there’s something new to try, or because there’s a special tea that seems right.  My husband sometimes will brew a cup for me which is a great little gift; he’s not a tea person, unless you count TRULY Southern Sweet Tea, yet he’s bothered to observe what I drink, how and when. 

If you flip back through my blog, you’ll find many a lengthy post where I suggest that the reader should grab a cuppa’ before settling in for the duration.  There’s just something about a good cup of tea, shared virtually or in person.

Twins!

Two socks, cast on and off at the same time, on the same needle.  Wee! 

Details: 

Pattern: Pedicure Socks  My second pair, but these were done via Magic Loop, two at a time, courtesy of 2-at-a-time Socks.  I did jump off track and do the heels separately, so the next pair, I’m going to follow one of her patterns to a tee.  Then, I hear there are variations on the 2 socks on one circ theme, so if doing it her way doesn’t seem absolutely perfect, I’ll search out more. 

Yarn:  More Wick.  Can’t get enough of this soy blend.  This is colorway #565.  I really like named colorways better, just in case any yarn makers read my blog.

Needle:  Knitpicks Options Harmony #6, 40″ cable.  I can’t imagine doing two socks on anything shorter than a 40″, but I might have to, because Addis only go down to a #1 that I can find, and KPs only make their tiny sizes in a 32″ cable. 

I cannot tell you how much satisfaction there is in pulling a PAIR of socks off the needle at the same time.  I also didn’t mind all the pushing and pulling as much as I did with my first pair of ML socks - my very first socks EVER, done one at a time.  I think it is comparable to the pushing and pulling with two circs, so I’m now sold on Magic Loop. 

I love this colorway, and hope my friend will too.  It just goes to show that there are no absolutes for me on colors.  I say I don’t like yellow or orange, but they’re both in there, and look great!  I think if I could name this colorway, I’d call it Spring Garden. 

I had another package yesterday.  While chatting about Magic Loop and socks, Ruth offered to trade her 40″ Addis for some 32″ Knitpick metals.  Most of you know Knitpicks are slow shippers, so I hope Ruth doesn’t have to wait too long for my end of the trade!  You’ll see she also included some teas for me to try.  The lavender certainly has my attention, and I think once I hit “publish” here, I’ll try a cup.  Thanks Ruth!  Hopefully soon, we’ll both have sock needles we like.

The weather and Sissy finally cooperated.  There are my first (and only so far) dropped stitches.  After seeing the finished Clapotis yesterday, I’m glad Grace suggested that I do fewer repeats for a summer wrap and to assure that I have enough yarn.   I think I’ll spend the afternoon with Clappy.

That’s just about one skein’s worth.  I don’t think you can see the purple in there, but it’s there.  Blue, yellow, tealish green, and a bright purple are the colors twisted in with the base of blue to form the stripes.  Seeing the completed project yesterday has motivated me, so I think I’ll get to knitting while I’m so inclined. 

Was it *MY* birthday?!

I had a great day yesterday with one of my dearest friends in the whole world.  Firefly  and I have been friends for forever and a day, as the saying goes.  Yesterday, we spent the day stomping around one of the two spots in the world I consider a hometown - Warrenton.  (The other spot is obviously home now…)  The yarn crawl was bookended by two great meals with her OH, starting with lunch at the comfy chic It’s About Thyme, and ending with supper at the very down-home Pig ‘n Steak.  (Sign of the times that each has a website, eh?)

We’ll get to the yarn crawl, but go grab a cuppa’ (I’m having chai this morning, with blueberry bread) and a snack, and tuck in for a long post.

Before we look at what moved south to my house, let’s check out what was waiting for me at home.  (Not the Knight; he was also out with friends when I returned, and y’all see enough of Mugsy and Sissy…)

The incredible yarn at the top is “Tulips” by NH Knitting Mama.   I got to help name it!  It reminds me of tulips, and I’m looking forward to seeing mine in another month or so.   The Knight actually planted some that should be the very blue of the yarn, and we debated over a funky purple that would be close to the kinda’ grey in the yarn too.  I’ll have to take photos when they bloom and we’ll compare notes.  Someone remind me, okay? 

So while I’m on the subject, pop over and check out her CONTEST, tell her I sent you, or head straight to her SHOP for some of her to DYE for yarn yourself.  Really folks, it’s incredibly soft, and the colors are soooo vivid… You really do need to see for yourself!

The rest of the photo is my Knitpicks order.  I couldn’t wait for Alison’s book to arrive!  As I predicted, I’m struggling to race through the rest of the Omega Wrap so I can get started on the Bigfoot shawl in there with my Fred yarn.  There are so many great shawls and scarves in there, and I truly adore the history of the inspiration for each one included within.  Each of you NEEDS this book.  Every pattern is rated from beginner to experienced, and the instructions are provided in “words” and charts, whichever you prefer.  Go on, order it, and while you’re waiting for it to arrive, check out the free patterns on her website, which also include the snippets of history behind their designs.

And yes, the cable is to replace the one Sissy ate.  She’s doing much better these days, and has trained me to put my knitting up when I leave the room.  I just wish Knitpicks would sell the silly little ”key” tool thingamabob by itself. 

Still with me?  Good.  Here we go…

First stop in quaint, downtown The Plains (and yes folks, *THE* is part of the name, thanks much), is Hunt Country Yarns.  Friendly and helpful, even with a full shop, they carry some truly primo yarns, which I enjoyed petting and left there.  I nearly bought so many things, but knowing Firefly’s favorite shop was yet to come, I paced myself.

That’s Cascade Sierra Quattro, probably for MJ’s pediwicks, but really, to “test drive” for my Clapotis.  I’ve decided that 800+ yards of cotton just SCREAMS “slog along” to me and would doom the project.  There’s also a sweet little Addi crochet hook, because Addi rocks, right?  I also finally settled on the I wonder what Sissy is doing now I miss her Panda Wool, which I’d not seen before.  (Socks for me, in case you were wondering.)

Then, ventured to My Favorite Yarn Shop, tucked away on a Warrenton side street I hadn’t been on in over 20 years.  It’s not to be missed.  Firefly was sorry I’d missed the owners, but the daughter of one owner holding down the fort was sweet and friendly.  They have the complete line of Bryspuns, which I’ve only seen in such quantities at Knitting Addiction, and just a great variety of yarns of all sorts.  If you’re on Rt 29 anywhere near Warrenton, swing in. 

After fondling just about every yarn in the place, I finally settled on what would come home with me.  It was also here, after carrying around some Ty-Dy for the majority of my visit, that I decided I needed to trust my gut and admit that I didn’t want to knit 800 yards of cotton, much less a dropped stitch pattern.  With that decision behind me, I went a little crazy.

Note the notions.  I’d just finished telling Firefly on the way to The Plains that I try to pick up my notions at Ben Franklin’s or JoAnn’s, because they’re cheaper.  Sigh.  Couldn’t help it.  Y’all know I needed “crochet” stitch markers, and those little rubber disks are my favorites, and I didn’t have the pink and blue set.  I also didn’t have any #10 straights, so now I have ‘em in my favorite straight brand.  That’s Morning Moon wool in the happy, spring colors, and I love the colors so much I very nearly bought two more skeins for the Clapotis, but reminded myself it’s supposed to be my spring/summer wrap…  I couldn’t leave Ocean Breezes there once I had it in my hands, and it was only with some fiscal restraint that Victorian Lace Today stayed behind.  (The patterns within are rather advanced.  I’d need a few more basic lace items under my belt first!)  However, the Ella Rae Palermo was irresistible, so home it came.  I also couldn’t resist more Wick for more pediwicks, and that was all the yarn library enhancements I made. 

Thank you for sticking with me through the whole post.  As a reward, I’ll whisper that yesterday was indeed Firefly’s birthday.  She doesn’t like to make a big deal out of such things for herself, but if you’re inclined to stop in and wish her a good year or something…  It’s not like I did my normal birthday bit of putting her photo up and titling the post accordingly, right?!  Now, I must go hold Sissy and try to knit around her.  I still hope to finish the Omega Wrap tonight!

Two Circs, Two Socks

So, finally, some non-baby related blogging and knitting, eh? This arrived today, courtesy of UPS. I can’t wait. I think I’m going to dump my current sock - or maybe frog it, since I don’t think it will fit the intended recipient - and jump right in here. There are even a couple of patterns with Fixation, which I happen to have on hand! There are nine wonderful patterns, lots of clear instructions with pictures and detailed explanations, and I don’t think I can wait to get started. There are three sizes (women’s small, medium and large) for each pattern, but the handy-dandy chart every sock book should have with shoe sizes, measurements and more is in the front in case you want to get really personal. I’ve only flipped through it, but I can’t wait. (You’re lucky I’m finishing this post.)

Here’s the sock in progress, which I briefly considered frogging. Maybe I’ll give it to one of the teeny-footed gals on my Christmas list. Okay. That’s the plan now, because you know frogging gives me heartburn. Thanks for helping me work through that little bit of indecision. Just because it isn’t right for the person I had in mind, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great sock. There. That’s a pretty fair representation of the colorway, which is some Sockotta. I’m not crazy about the yarn. It’s just there. There are other blends that feel better slipping through my hands, but it knits up well, and I do like the colors. (See my Sockza bag in use?) The pattern was quick and fun, and I’m about 1/4″ from turning the heel, so why frog? Heck, *I* am a rather small-footed gal myself…

The colorway isn’t that blue, but evidently, you can’t have accurate color AND a decent shot of the pattern. Go figure. It’s from Learn to Knit Socks, Little Pinky. Fun, easy to memorize pattern, in an ankle length. I think it would look great on one of my skinny-legged friends. So, no frogging. Can’t do it, but I am moving on so I can knit two socks at the same time. I also want to do the toe-up thing, especially since Surviving sent me the cool You Tube link to the Magic Cast On and more. So many socks, so little time!

PS - My Pay it Forward list is full, but I hope you’ll find someone whose isn’t!

Red and Read

It’s really a true red, but that’s indoor photography for you. The boys - Mugsy, Fred and the Knitter’s Knight - are all sound asleep, so it doesn’t seem right to go out to snap a picture for my blog. (Mugsy would pop up and follow me, which would cause Fred to cry, which would wake KK, which would make us all grumpy!) Sorry. I can tell you that I’ve found a cotton albeit blend to be gushy about, and Cascade Cotton Rich is it. It’s about triple the price of a similar quantity of whatever and cream brands, but it’s also triple the pleasure to knit with. All those patterns I’ve seen for clothing made of “dishcloth cotton”? I’d make ‘em with this stuff. My pal will have to let us know how it washes and holds up, but it’s pure knitter’s joy on the needles.

Obviously, it’s for my KVVS pal. I’m happy to announce that my pal’s package, along with my Dog Days package, which should still make its way on time, will ship out on Monday. I have to give a shout-out to Willis (the owner) and the gals at the Charlottesville branch of The Virginia Store for the big assist in shopping for my VVS pal and more. (I’ve purchase my first Christmas gift!) You know I love good service, and that store never fails me. I hope my pal likes her virtual vacation too. (Hint - note that I did NOT venture to Monticello’s gift shop for museum type gifts.) The lady waiting on me was very curious about knitting and swaps, so maybe next time I go in, she’ll be knitting!

The same sales lady recommended the Debbie Macomber books. Sadly, my lame-0 Barnes and Noble doesn’t carry them in stock, so that helped me just spend my gift card and NOT renew my membership thingee there, which I never really earn back, because of Amazon and Borders. So, I’ll be leaving here and going to trusty Amazon and my prime shipping, and I’ll have the book for less, probably before I’m ready to read it anyway. Now, please scoot on over to Debbie’s site. There’s a free pattern, which will change on August 18th, and Mary, this one is for crocheters! She has a blog too, which lacks photos, but does mention a new knitter in the family.

I’m more of a non-fiction type of girl, but I do enjoy a good what my family calls a “beach” read, so if you’ve read the Knitting Series, let me know what you think, but no spoilers, okay? There’s also content on the site I linked above for Debbie’s new inspirational book, which I did buy at B&N, along with another sock book, Vogue Knitting Socks Two. I love those little books, although I’ve yet to actually knit anything from one. Sigh. So many books, yarns and patterns, and so little time!

I also hit It’s a Stitch for some personal and swap stuff. Sigh. The lady I like best wasn’t working. I want to love that store and say great things about it, but instead, I’ll tell you that I very nearly paid for two Addi circs. I already own, because the sales lady wasn’t listening. She sold me 2 - US #1/2.5mm circs., when I very clearly explained that I have those and NEED the 2.25mm size for my socks. BIG SIGH. She says Addi doesn’t make them, but I bet they do. However, since I’m having trouble finding them, good ol’ Knitpicks (books in stock, 40% off through August 17th) will get my order, because I *KNOW* they have the 2.25 mm size, and their website always seems to “listen.”

THEN, the same lady insisted she’d never heard of a sock pattern calling for two different sized needles. Now, I know I’m no expert, but I’m positive I’ve seen other patterns that do indeed call for different sized needles for the same sock! Hello? Am I wrong? Then, she told me to just knit the whole thing on the #2s called for in the bulk of the pattern… And what does one do when the said professional tries to tell her she’s wrong? I can tell you what I do. I decide that if I can’t make a mini road trip to Carodan or Limerick Fibers (no website yet, but oh, I hope it will be up in time for Christmas!), I’ll just order online. I hate that, I really do, because as part of a local small business, I *WANT* to shop locally and support small businesses, but geeze folks, can you meet me half way and provide a modicum of customer service?!

Whew. I think some tea and stick therapy is in order. Why is it so hard to run a decent yarn shop?

Downward Facing Wick

So, there it is. The yoga sock done in Wick. (That’s color #9 on the site.) You can find the pattern here. I can’t say enough about the yarn. It’s a bit like chenille, but it stretches, so while I might never knit with chenille again, I love this stuff and will be ordering some to make Christmas presents. No, I don’t know how practical the socks are, as my toes are generally what gets cold first, but check back with me after the temperature drops, because I’ve slipped into my sad version of Lotus more than once, just to get my feet off of the cold even through the mat floor!

Hey, look! They aren’t green. How ’bout that!? Pink and brown, and although you can’t really see it, there is some sage-ish green in there too, along with the cream and some - get this, Sharon! - purple. If you’re looking for non-wool fibers, give Wick a try. Yet another soy love affair happening here.

This is also a good time for a little book review. Devon sent me a copy of this for my birthday last month. Sue told me early in our swap-born friendship that Interweave published the best books, and this certainly makes a good case for that argument. Have a problem? (Like needing to cast on 22 stitches in mid-yoga sock?) Just flip to the index in the back, and viola! There it is, with pictures and gooblette-proof text. Even at 10pm, I was able to make it work, rather successfully, if I may say so myself! Now that I have a nice, roomy tote (thanks, Stacey!), this book will go wherever my knitting and I go, unless I am 100% positive there’s no way I’ll need it.

Of course, there are many more books to review, but Mugsy says it’s time to sit together on the sofa and talk about our day, which for him, included escaping into the great room to hang out with Fred. He’d been baby-gated in our room, which is adjacent to the great room, so that they could see each other, but Mugsy couldn’t bother Fred the sore grump and provoke a fight. Evidently, Mugsy knew Dr. Nancy would insist that Fred isn’t as bad off as we thought… Thanks for all the kind wishes. He’s mending, slowly but surely. He’s still a rather old basset with a very bad back, but it seems he’s going to be around a while longer.